5 Reasons Why Time Spent Alone Is A Good Idea

Posted on June 19, 2017

I don’t know about y’all, but there’s one relationship that always seems to be on the back burner for me – the one with myself. As I’ve been going through my funk, I’ve really witnessed this. I’ve gotten pretty good at making friends and family (and of course work) a priority, but I always seem to put myself last. There’s just always someone I feel like I need to catch up with, work to focus on, or something else fighting for my attention – that I don’t spend too much time solo. Even though I personally REALLY enjoy spending time alone – I just haven’t had that luxury lately – or rather, I really haven’t made time for it. (you have to actually MAKE it happen! you know?) Anyway, it turns out that there are a ton of benefits to setting aside alone time, so I want to get better at it.

5 Reasons Why Time Spent Alone is a GOOD Idea

It might be one of the hardest things to actually make happen, but time spent alone can do wonders for you – in more ways than one. In an effort to remind myself of WHY I need to make time alone happen more AND to hopefully motivate you to do the same, I wanted to list out 5 (of the many!) reasons why spending time alone is a good idea.

Time Alone Lets you recharge

We all have crazy busy lives, and sometimes it can be hard to get the downtime we so desperately need. There are periods that I go non-stop for days at a time with work and social gatherings….and dry shampoo and way-less-than-enough sleep. And then I wonder why I get burned out so easily. It’s crucial to have some alone time just to recharge and rest – to not have to be “on” all the time if you know what I mean. I think we all probably require different amounts of alone time to recharge, but for me, one day (and night!) a week all to myself usually does the trick to reset. Sometimes, I even need 2 or 3 days and/or nights – but I’m a bit of an introvert.

Time Alone Boosts your intuition

I know the word “intuition” is a little weird and has a lot of different connotations associated with it, but hear me out. Something you can’t argue with is the fact that we’re constantly being influenced by friends, family, co-workers, and basically anyone we spend time with. Even if you don’t realize it, the people and places you surround yourself with have a huge impact on what you do and the decisions you make. When you spend time alone, you force yourself to really listen to your own wants and needs, separate from any outside opinions and influences. I’ve noticed that spending more time alone has really boosted my intuition because I’ve learned to actually listen to my gut and block out all the noise!

Time Alone Increases productivity

Alone time helps your mind reset in a serious way, meaning improved concentration and increased productivity (we could all use a little more of that, right?). Whenever I remove all the distractions and interruptions – y’all, I even put my phone in sleep mode – I’m able to concentrate sooo much better. Alone time helps me get more stuff done in a shorter period of time because I’m not being constantly distracted. Also, something about being along feels empowering to me and my brain is able to think bigger and better (as cheesy as that sounds).

Time Alone Helps you de-stress

Long to-do lists and being super busy is stressful, even for the most energetic people I know. I like to think of alone time as a sort of safe space in a way – it’s something you can look forward to as a little piece of calm in the crazy storm we call life. I’m not saying your alone time needs to be spent sitting in a room alone – just find some time to dedicate solely to yourself, and no, alone time doesn’t include running around to complete your errands (because that just sounds stressful!). One of my favorite ways to spend time alone is to go on a walk around my neighborhood. Not only do walks help clear my thoughts, but being in nature has de-stressing benefits on its own, so it’s truly a win-win.

Time Alone Lets you do “you”

That’s such a trendy phrase right now – or at least I hear it ALL THE TIME. You know, the whole “okay girl….you do you” people say in response when they don’t really agree with you or understand. But in all seriousness, anytime I hear this, I’m like “YES! OKAYY! I’ll do Brighton!” It could mean a lot of different things, but for the most part – it means expressing yourself and doing what YOU want to do without considering anyone or anything else. Like, if you didn’t have anything holding you back or anyone else to take care of – what would you do? It’s fun to think about, isn’t it?

How often do you actually get to treat yourself? Believe it or not, just as it’s super important to spend time with your friends and family, it’s even more important to spend quality time with yourself. Spending time alone actually lets you do you. When you set aside alone time, you don’t need to worry about ordering certain takeout just because somebody else wants it, or watching a drama instead of a comedy because that’s what your man prefers. I love my time spent alone because I don’t have to compromise on anything or please anyone – it’s so, so satisfying.

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That’s all I’ve got for now, but I feel like I could keep going (easily!). I really do love spending time alone – it’s just SO STINKIN’ hard to actually get myself there. Personally, it takes a lot of self discipline, but I always end up REALLY enjoying it! But speaking of benefits of spending time alone, did I miss anything big here? What are some of the benefits you’ve noticed when you spend more time alone?

12 Comments

Oh man, I do love spending time alone! It’s the best. Usually I will only need a few hours and then I’m ready to see people again which is why I love days where I clean and do laundry. It allows me time to reflect, pray, dance, have happy thoughts and just enjoy time with myself.

Natalie Redman

Yes! I agree with each of your points, Brighton. I’m more of an introvert, so I love quiet time at home. When I don’t get that time to recharge I can easily get overwhelmed. I’m so guilty of putting my to-do list above self-care. Love this outfit and your glasses.

Esther

June 20, 2017 at 2:09 am

You are so right. I try it take some ME TIME from time to time. It really helps me to recharge.
We all have very busy lives and should try to take a little break every then and when.
Have a beautiful week. Love, Esther

Katie Collard

June 19, 2017 at 5:46 pm

Totally agree that time alone can help you “find yourself” without needing to do a full-on “Eat Pray Love.” I got a dog a couple months ago and have found that walking her by myself every morning has really helped me center myself and start the day on a positive note. Thanks for the post. (Also, love this simple chic necklace!).http://www.thepolishedblog.com

It’s so weird that you posted this today because I literally went on a walk alone this morning and was thinking to myself “wow I really like this whole me time thing”
It really helped clear my thought and get my head straight!
xx Nikkihttp://clarissanicole.com

mks43

June 19, 2017 at 2:11 pm

i personally am an extroverted introvert and it’s so important for me to have alone time to recharge. i’m unlucky in the fact that my boyfriend is a nurse and has to work every other weekend, but it gives me some good recurring alone time to catch up on my chores (i know that’s a no-no on your list, but to me it’s actually stress relieving to check things off my to do list) and then relax and treat myself to some TV, a magazine, a book… whatever i want to indulge in. also a glass of wine and a face mask, of course :)